ALAMEDA — Newly signed Raiders return specialist Josh Cribbs sounded amused by speculation by an NFL general manager that his surgically repaired left knee is not ready for football.

“If we were lining up to play football in June, then this would be a hot topic,” Cribbs said Thursday on a conference call. “I will be ready to play football when it’s time to play football.”

While Cribbs’ signing was finalized after being widely reported Wednesday, the Raiders have not yet confirmed the addition of outspoken free agent punter Chris Kluwe, who told FoxSports.com he was “excited to be an Oakland Raider.”

A three-time Pro Bowl selection in Cleveland, Cribbs has an NFL-high eight kickoff returns for touchdowns and three on punt returns in eight seasons. He underwent arthroscopic surgery for a torn meniscus in his left knee following the season and reportedly failed a physical with Arizona.

He recently visited with the Raiders, Detroit Lions, New York Jets and New York Giants, with Jets general manager John Idzik telling reporters Cribbs’ knee “wasn’t quite right.”

“I don’t know why a GM would come out and say that, other than using it as a negotiation tactic,” Cribbs said. “I think everybody knew what was going on with that.”

Cribbs, 6-foot-1, 215 pounds, will also compete at wide receiver, but said he understands his primary role under new special teams coach Bobby April.

“At this point, my job is to come in and be a special teams guru, to help solidify our special teams unit in the NFL and to raise our goals and our standards,” Cribbs said.

Kluwe has a career average of 44.7 yards per punt and is coming off a career-high 39.7 net last season in Minnesota.

A supporter of gay marriage rights, Kluwe, a UCLA product, has written blogs on the subject. He spoke out against union leadership during the recent NFL labor dispute and wore a post-it note with the words, “Vote Ray Guy,” over a patch commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Hall of Fame on his uniform last December to protest the fact that there are no punters enshrined.

Kluwe will compete with Marquette King, who was kept on injured rerseve last season following a weight-room accident late in the preseason, and undrafted rookie free agent Bobby Cowan of Idaho.

ALAMEDA — Newly signed Raiders return specialist Josh Cribbs sounded amused by speculation by an NFL general manager that his surgically repaired left knee is not ready for football.

“If we were lining up to play football in June, then this would be a hot topic,” Cribbs said Thursday on a conference call. “I will be ready to play football when it’s time to play football.”

While Cribbs’ signing was finalized after being widely reported Wednesday, the Raiders have not yet confirmed the addition of outspoken free agent punter Chris Kluwe, who told FoxSports.com he was “excited to be an Oakland Raider.”

A three-time Pro Bowl selection in Cleveland, Cribbs has an NFL-high eight kickoff returns for touchdowns and three on punt returns in eight seasons. He underwent arthroscopic surgery for a torn meniscus in his left knee following the season and reportedly failed a physical with Arizona.

He recently visited with the Raiders, Detroit Lions, New York Jets and New York Giants, with Jets general manager John Idzik telling reporters Cribbs’ knee “wasn’t quite right.”

“I don’t know why a GM would come out and say that, other than using it as a negotiation tactic,” Cribbs said. “I think everybody knew what was going on with that.”

Cribbs, 6-foot-1, 215 pounds, will also compete at wide receiver, but said he understands his primary role under new special teams coach Bobby April.

“At this point, my job is to come in and be a special teams guru, to help solidify our special teams unit in the NFL and to raise our goals and our standards,” Cribbs said.

Kluwe has a career average of 44.7 yards per punt and is coming off a career-high 39.7 net last season in Minnesota.

A supporter of gay marriage rights, Kluwe, a UCLA product, has written blogs on the subject. He spoke out against union leadership during the recent NFL labor dispute and wore a post-it note with the words, “Vote Ray Guy,” over a patch commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Hall of Fame on his uniform last December to protest the fact that there are no punters enshrined.

Kluwe will compete with Marquette King, who was kept on injured rerseve last season following a weight-room accident late in the preseason, and undrafted rookie free agent Bobby Cowan of Idaho.

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